This One Trick Could Save Your Limp Natural Curls

You probably have it in your kitchen.

There's no denying that curly hair is amazing!

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So full of life and personality!

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While some people have to wake up extra early to rock your natural born look...

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...you have the pleasure of hitting the snooze button.

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But even with all the awesomeness that comes with having a crown of curls and coils, there is one precaution for which curlies should be very aware: HEAT DAMAGE!

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Heat damage can happen to any hair texture, but it is very evident in textures with definite curl patterns, explains Yessenia Reyes, a curl expert and hair stylist at Hair Rules Salon.

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Heat damage "has to do with the salt bonds, which play a big part in the curl pattern," Reyes says. Excessive heat results in broken down salt bonds that cannot be restored. "It's a pretty terrifying experience for women with curly hair who like versatility," she says. If someone with curly hair has heat damage, wearing it in its natural state can present a big challenge.

Some curlies say that heat damaged hair still has hope, however, thanks to apple cider vinegar rinses.

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When using apple cider vinegar as a beauty remedy, most experts recommend an organic brand labeled, "with the mother." The "mother" looks like residue sitting at the bottom of the bottle, and it contains proteins, enzymes and healthy bacteria.

Get Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar here.

Take this story from natural hair blogger Hair Mary, whose friend tragically damaged her hair with heat.

Her friend suffered severe heat damage to her natural hair (left) after straightening her curls. She began doing apple cider vinegar rinses once a week with hopes of restoring her curl pattern, and she noticed that her curls had improved significantly after only two weeks (right).

But while this recovery method may appear to magically renew fried curls, some stylists and experts say this is not the case.

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Natural hair expert and CEO of DyeVerCity Salon Stacy Hill tells BuzzFeed Life that while apple cider vinegar does have restorative benefits, it does not "cure" heat-damaged hair.

"ACV is definitely a great natural alternative to remove product build and it has the ability to bring the hair back to the proper pH balance," she says. "A lot of pictures that are surfacing, however, show where some of the curl pattern has restored but not all of it."

Stacy suggests that curls may seem to 'bounce back' because the ACV strips off excess build up.

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She says that silicones, wax coatings, and other heavy products, may have been applied during the straightening process and weighed the curls down.

If you think your curls have lost their spring and undergone any permanent damage, an apple cider vinegar rinse may be worth exploring.

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Perhaps it will cleanse the hair of any products that are hindering your ringlets.

But if your curls are still limp and lifeless, it's probably heat damage and a new cut is your best option.

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Reyes says quarterly haircuts and patience will aid in the transition to healthy hair. Your curls will grow back healthier and revived! She also recommends protective styles, like twists and braids, in between trims as a no fuss option.

Hill adds that a good conditioning agent to keep your hair moisturized as you trim away heat damage is bentonite clay. Mixing it with apple cider vinegar and aloe vera as a rinse will restore the hair's pH and pull out any toxins from your tresses and scalp.

So worry not! It's only a matter of time before your curls find their spring again!

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